Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
Serving proudly since 1873 as the beautiful Nebraska Panhandle's first newspaper
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INDIANAPOLIS (National FFA Organization) – The National FFA Foundation announced its new chair for the Sponsors’ Board during the 94th National FFA Convention & Expo in Indianapolis this fall. Paul Rea, senior vice president, BASF agricultural solutions North America (Research Triangle Park, N.C.), was named the chair for the upcoming year. Rea, born and raised on a farm in New Zealand, holds a master’s degree from the University of Sydney, graduate school of management and lives in Raleigh, N.C. “It is a privilege and honor to serve as the...
Medicare-eligible Nebraskans still have time to review their Medicare Part D Prescription Drug plans through Dec. 7. Also, anyone eligible for Part D but not yet signed up for a drug plan can do so until Dec. 7. Every year beneficiaries need to check their plan to make sure it is still the best plan for their needs. Plans can change every year, so just because you like how the plan you are on now works doesn’t mean it will work the same next year. It is important to make sure your current plan covers the medications you are currently taking. T...
Chris Helzer, a local nature photographer and Nebraska director of science at The Nature Conservancy, was looking for a new way to tell people why prairies are interesting and important when he came up with the idea of proving the diversity of prairies on a smaller scale. And so the project “Hidden Prairie” was born. Helzer’s project originally started as a book that features images and stories about the species he discovered in a square meter over a year in Lincoln Creek Prairie in Auror...
On September 15th the Upper Niobrara White Natural Resources District (UNWNRD) hosted the 2021 Area 1 Range Judging contest in Alliance. Range Judging is a high school competition that challenges students to gain a better understanding of Nebraska rangelands. Range Judging enables each participant to learn how to recognize range plants, range sites and the need for proper grazing practices. NRDs work with the Society for Range Management, NRCS and UNL Extension to host Range Judging contests...
The Sandhills Rangeland Monitoring Cooperative (SRMC) is a rangeland monitoring project that seeks to link ranchers, scientists and the public in a network of knowledge exchange about rangeland health and management in the Nebraska Sandhills. The goal of the project is to better understand what influences the plant community in the Nebraska Sandhills and help guide management efforts to protect this vital part of Nebraska. The Nebraska Sandhills provide valuable grazing land and plentiful ecosys...
Working with any kind of grain – especially when it’s stored in a bin – poses life-threatening hazards. Understanding those hazards and knowing how to protect yourself from harm helps prevent serious injury or death. Bob Aherin, Ph.D. and Professor Emeritus, University of Illinois, Agricultural Safety and Health Program and AgrAbility Unlimited Program, says becoming trapped in flowing grain one of the most hazardous aspects of grain handling. “Getting caught in a grain auger as you move gr...
LINCOLN — Center for Agriculture Profitability housed in the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln hosted a webinar series on October 12 and 14 addressing the current state and potential growth of the meat processing industry. Due to COVID-19, recent market disruptions to the meat processing industry have led the public and livestock producers to be concerned about the size and consolidation of meat processing plants. The purpose of these webinars is to address the following: Financial and legal imp...
INDIANAPOLIS — This week, FFA members and supporters from across the country will celebrate agricultural education and agriculture during the 94th National FFA Convention & Expo, Oct. 27-29. Nine Sidney High School FFA members and officers, their sponsor and one chaperone will be flying to Indy today (Wednesday). Students attending are:Sidney Allard (Treasurer, Sophomore), Joslyn Bertrand (Member, Junior), Zoe Fornander (Member, Junior), Angel Helms (Vice President, Junior), Nolan Hofrock (Reporter, Junior), Kord McMillen (President, S...
As shoppers adjust their holiday gift-buying strategies due to supply chain issues, they might want to think about retooling their holiday meals, too. Just as consumers are feeling the supply chain headaches, so too are farmers, food processors and shelf stockers. Nearly everything from fertilizer for fields, feed ingredients for livestock to the harvesting of fresh produce has been impacted by shortages that have slowed the supply chain to a crawl. Erkut Sönmez, associate professor of supply chain management and analytics at the University...
LINCOLN – The Nebraska Public Service Commission (PSC) has filed a complaint requiring Banghart Properties LLC, a.k.a. Fearless Grain Marketing Storage & Arbitrage, a.k.a. Fearless Grain Marketing, a.k.a. Fearless Grain of Gettysburg, South Dakota, to cease and desist all operations as a Grain Dealer in Nebraska. On September 5, the PSC Grain Department sent the company a letter stating that a Grain Dealer license is required for the company to purchase grain from a Nebraska producer. The letter indicated all grain dealer activity by the c...
Nowadays, farmers have more access than ever to data of all kinds about their crops, thanks to rapid development of sensor and telemetry technologies over the past few decades. Yet the adoption rate of sensors for farming operations is still low, possibly due to cost, comfortability of adapting to sensor-based management, concerns on return on investment, and other reasons. Farm machinery is commonly equipped with sensors for monitoring planting, harvesting, and other field operations. For monit...
Grand Island, NE — The Nebraska State Fair opened with great excitement and anticipation. The gates opened and the grounds filled with fairgoers as State Fair Board Chair Beth Smith and Executive Director- Bill Ogg gave the Opening Ceremony welcome to the 2021 Nebraska State Fair. The 11-day event gained momentum with the start of 4-H weekend and continued throughout the week with the conclusion of FFA exhibits on the Labor Day weekend. Concerts saw strong attendance and crowds were smiling, d...
Can winter field peas, planted in September and harvested the middle of the following summer (like winter wheat), work as part of the dryland cropping rotations in the Nebraska Panhandle? The question is being studied by the alternative crops breeding program at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Panhandle Research and Extension Center at Scottsbluff. Incorporating winter pea into a wheat-based dryland crop production system in the Panhandle has the potential to increase the crop production sustainability and economic viability of dryland...
LINCOLN – Nebraska Farm Bureau is asking Nebraska’s three House members to support the Senate passed version of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act when it comes to the House floor for a vote. “Whether it’s good roads to move crops and livestock from our fields, pastures, and feedlots to market, or subsequently moving agriculture commodities and products to ports for transport to international customers, infrastructure is critical to Nebraska farm and ranch families. That’s why Nebraska Farm Bureau is a long-time supporter of investing i...
Congratulations to these Sidney high students who attended the State Range Judging competition on September 29th in Valentine, Nebraska. Team members pictured include Emily Miller, Zoe Fornander, Matthew Cabbage, Ty Grunig, and the team's lucky sugarbeet (Parliament). With 35 teams represented in the senior level division, Sidney's team placed 10th overall. Among the 123 total students participating, Ty Grunig placed (26th) and was awarded a green ribbon, followed by Zoe Fornander (32nd), Emily...
WASHINGTON – On Sept. 22, the National Farmers Union, a national organization advocating on behalf of nearly 200,000 American farm families and their communities, launched Fairness for Farmers. This campaign seeks to rally Americans to urge their Congressional leaders and the Biden administration to take concrete steps to curtail consolidation in agriculture, which negatively impacts farmers, ranchers and consumers. At today’s press conference, NFU President Rob Larew, Montana Farmers Union President Walter Schweitzer, and Minnesota Far...
LINCOLN - The Nebraska Corn Growers Association (NeCGA) has hired a new director of grower services. Katherine Byrne brings talent and experience from her time as public relations director at Ag Valley Co-op and internships with the Nebraska Pork Producers Association and Nebraska Agribusiness Association. Katherine also sits on the board of the Nebraska FFA Foundation as their secretary. “We are excited to have Katherine on our staff,” said Kelly Brunkhorst, executive director of NeCGA. “As a strong advocate for the agriculture indus...
LINCOLN – Nebraska Farm Bureau’s Board of Directors expressed its opposition to the reconciliation package that has been working its way through Congress, in a letter to President Biden and Congressional leaders this week. “Given what the federal government has spent over the past 21 months, combined with the threat of massive tax increases that look to put the future of family farms and ranches at risk, we simply cannot support this legislation. Unfortunately, it is clear to us this package is a work of party politics rather than sound publi...
PLEASANT DALE, Neb. – Del Ficke of Ficke Cattle Company just northwest of Pleasant Dale, Neb., and Ken Stewart of XL Ranch out of Cowley, Wyo. are pleased to announce they will be holding the inaugural Graze Master cattle sale and open house on Saturday, Nov. 13. The sale, the first of its kind ever, is also the launch of the Graze Master Group® – a new vision for the cattle the industry that has independence, common sense, genomic expertise, and profitability at its center. “We have the same mindset,” Ficke said. “I trust Ken’s cattle judgm...
LINCOLN – Natural resources stakeholders and experts will be in Kearney for the annual Nebraska Natural Resources Districts (NRDs) Conference at the Younes Conference Center Sept. 26-28. The conference brings together NRD employees, directors and others integrally involved in conservation, technology and policymaking. The event kicks off with the Ron Bishop Memorial Golf Outing and trap shoot on Sunday, Sept. 26, to raise money for the Nebraska Association of Resources Districts (NARD) Foundation. The conference runs from 8:30 a.m. to 8 p.m. M...
Volunteering at community gardens: With fall approaching there are many garden tasks to be completed and many community gardens in need of care, including the Scotts Bluff Court House front garden fall cleanup; removing tall grasses at the Guadalupe center rain/pollinator garden; picking produce at the Evergreen Green House in Gering on Wednesdays; and many more. Call your local extension office to see how you can help in the gardens and be less isolated during this time. It’s a great way to make a difference in your community. Enjoying d...
Sara Allard – Purple – Intermediate Beef Showmanship Sara Allard – Purple - Market Beef – Crossbred Steers Sidney Allard – Purple – Senior Beef Showmanship Sidney Allard – Purple – Commercial Breeding Heifers Calved March/April 2020 Emily Miller – Purple – Senior Beef Showmanship Emily Miller – Red – market Beef – Nebraska Fed Steer Challenge Keian Kaiser – Blue – Intermediate Swine Showmanship Keian Kaiser – Blue – Market Swine – Crossbred Market Barrows Alaina Challburg – Heritage -Level 1: Beginning Special events Scrapbook Alexa Shoema...
Lincoln - The University of Nebraska-Lincoln’s Center for Agricultural Profitability and Nebraska Extension will present Returning to the Farm, a workshop series for families who are in the transition process of bringing members back to the farm. It will begin with a two-day workshop for multi-generational families on Dec. 10 and 11 in Columbus. “Bringing a young person into a farm or ranch operation can present challenges,” said Allan Vyhnalek, an extension educator for farm succession. “This...
Daryl Koptiva grew up farming. When he wasn't farming, he was custom harvesting. When he wasn't cutting grain, he was repairing machinery to get back in the field. Now he is offering his experience to farmers and ranchers in western Nebraska. He said he left the farm when the work load became more than he could handle. "The farm grew to be a little too much," he said. He had a trucking business that he closed when the last driver retired. His service will include most anything that can break...
Some photography tips to capture great shots of your garden and landscape: Anytime is a good time to photograph something in your garden. But to improve your photography, early morning and late afternoon offer the best lighting of the day. Overcast skies also provide naturally diffused lighting. Shooting during these times limits the harsh, bright light of the mid-day sun. Also take lots of shots so you have a variety that you can look over later and choose the best ones to keep as a reminder of this year’s garden. Flowers are probably e...
